NC gun builder settles on Palm Bay for factory

11:05 PM,
Apr. 4, 2013

'I.O. Inc. could have chosen any number of cities in the Southeast for its home, but it chose Palm Bay,' Mayor William Capote said. 'I.O. Inc. needed a community where it could grow and thrive, and we welcome the company to our Palm Bay business community.'

Written by

Wayne T. Price
| FLORIDA TODAY

Amid a national dialogue taking place about gun control, Palm Bay has reached a decision about whether to welcome a gun maker to the city.

I.O. Inc., a North Carolina-based firearms manufacturer, is relocating to Palm Bay and purchasing a 51,000-square-foot building, creating at least 53 jobs. I.O. specializes in handguns and semi-automatic rifles often labeled as "assault rifles."

The company plans to make nearly $2 million in capital expenditures, including an estimated $700,000 in equipment, at 2144 Franklin Drive, in the Port Malabar Industrial Park. ...